MOVIE REVIEW: The Story of Furious Pete

by Jonathan Doyle

Every non-fiction film must be processed as both a reality and a construction. Due to this film's clumsy, unsophisticated directorial style, it fails as a construction, but it nonetheless features an intriguing and sympathetic reality. In telling the story of anorexic-turned-competitive-eater Pete Czerwinski, the filmmakers stumble upon an impossible tonal challenge: balancing the lingering impact of a life-threatening illness and the utter absurdity of food eating contests. Sadly, they are no match for the challenge.

And yet it's hard not to respond to Pete's sad, earnest vulnerability. He's a genuinely likable, good-natured person with a crude talent that is an unlikely match for his more introspective temperament. In his beefed-up, post-anorexic state, he may look like a jock, but the angst of his troubled past is alive and well. Almost by accident, The Story of Furious Pete becomes a fascinating study of the human body and its unreliability, both as a provider of health and an indicator of personality. Rating: 6.8/10